Travel firms will need to take the lead on sustainability as consumers are not willing to pay extra for more environmentally friendly holidays, according to sustainability experts.
In a panel discussion at Travel Weekly’s Sustainability Summit, Deloitte’s sustainability director Emily Cromwell said that while the firm’s consumer surveys show an “uptick” in the number of people wanting to lead more sustainable lifestyles, perceived additional costs act as a barrier.
Carolyn Wincer, managing director at sustainability accreditation programme Travelife, added research suggests holidaymakers are prepared to pay extra for eco-friendly trips but that this does not play out in reality.
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“Some misleading studies have come out which suggest consumers will pay more for a sustainable holiday – they won’t,” she said.
“The change needs to be generated by the industry, by the distributers, by the suppliers. The industry needs to say to the supply chain: you need to be more sustainable, and we’re going to buy your products if you are.
“We need hotels to start doing the right thing and we need tour operators to tell them to start doing the right thing.”
Cromwell said that a “lack of understanding” is another barrier for people when it comes to leading more sustainable lifestyles.
“We do see an uptick in consumers saying they want to lead more sustainable lifestyles [in our consumer reports], and cost always comes up when asked what the barriers are, as well as a lack of understanding; they don’t know how to,” she told delegates.
“As sustainability experts we know how confusing it can be, so imagine what it’s like as a normal traveller who just wants to do the right thing.”
Her views were echoed by Prue Stone, sustainability director for Hotelplan – parent of Explore Worldwide, Inntravel, Inghams, Esprit and Santa’s Lapland – who said companies need to be transparent with their sustainability practices to make it easy for consumes.
“We need to make sustainability simple and communicate it properly to make sure everyone’s on board,” she said. “You have to keep making progress.”
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